Whether or not there are pros of fasting for weight loss depends entirely upon the research material used to make the claims. Very few clinical trials have been done on the pros of fasting for weight loss, and indeed the claims and counter claims seem to lack the research to back their findings. Below are some examples of how the same evidence can be used to point to two different conclusions, muddying the waters when all sides of an argument are actually considered versus only getting one side of the story.
Fact, one pound of body fat consists of 3500 calories. Those who endorse fasting for weight loss will claim that the body will begin burning these fat calories for fuel. Opponents will argue that the body will also consume water and muscle tissue breaking down protein as a source of fuel, leaving the fat calories to be consumed as a last resort.
Endorsers of fasting for weight loss will contend that fasting for a short period of time will cleanse the digestive tract. Much as a clean engine will utilize fuel better, they claim that the body will be more efficient at digesting food.
Opponents of fasting for weight loss will argue that the body’s metabolism can drop up to 20 % even over the course of a three day fast. The body therefore requires less food than before, yet normal eating habits resume and the excess calories are immediately stored as fat. Some studies argue that the long term issues with metabolism make future weight loss efforts harder if not impossible, and there are some potential major health issues if your metabolism is messed up over the long term.
While the nutrition experts hammer out the pros of fasting for weight loss others will take the angle that fasting for weight loss helps secondary to actual weight loss. The argument is that, while fasting will not directly translate to weight loss, fasting can help a person learn discipline and control over their appetite. This discipline and control is necessary to make any diet effective and to make healthy eating choices.
Other advocates of weight loss fasting contends that fasting is simply the omission of food and that it need not be a complete fast. Omission of meat, dairy, refined sugars, or caffeine can be used to boost weight loss. Eliminating red meat can reduce a good deal of fat from a diet, assuming it’s not replaced by something else. Likewise, eliminating refined sugar (such as coffee creamer) can reduce a number of empty calories and can be an effective tool to be used with diet and exercise. One thing that virtually everyone agrees to, however, is to seek medical supervision before testing for yourself the pros of fasting for weight loss.
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